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2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

C. C. COFFIKN. n Convertible Grain-Oar.

No. 225,918 Patented Mar. 30, 18

N PEIERS, PHOTO-UTNDGMPNiR. wASmNGToN. u Cy 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

C. C. COFFIN. Convertible Grain-Car. No. 225,918 Patented Mar. 30, 1880.

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Witnesses. Fi Inventor. Wf- /m 6%@ 4%@ N-PEYERS, PHOTO-IJTMDGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES C. COFFIN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

CONVERTIBLE GRAIN-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 225,918, dated March 30, 1880.

Application filed January 16, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES C. GOEFIN, of Boston, in the State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Convertible Grain- Cars, of which the following is a specification.

The invention consists in providing a box freight-car of ordinary construction with certain foldin g leaves, which, While taking up very little room when the car is used for common merchandise, are so arranged that by them, in connection with trap-doors or hinged portions of the floor and a hopper beneath the ear extending from truck to truck, a car of any length may be converted into one large hopper, in which the weight of the load is more equally distributed than in any convertible car heretofore in use, and from which the entire load may be emptied by the gravity of the load alone.

The invention consists, also, in certain improvements in the hopper beneath and forming a part of the car.

In illustrating my invention by drawings, I have, for convenience, shown but half a carbody, the two halves being alike, and the half shown being either half, according to the direction in which the car is put upon the track.

Figure l is a plan, and Fig. 2 a sectional elevation, taken longitudinally, of half the body of a car embodying my invention when in condition to be used as an ordinary freightcar, while Fig. 3 is an elevation taken on a cross-section at the middle of the car in the same condition. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are corresponding views of the body of the car when prepared for the transportation of grain.

The car may be transformed by my invention into a hopper with a sub-hopper beneath it. In adapting the invention to freight-cars as they are now generally constructed and in use I employ a section of the floor comprised longitudinally between the transom-bars and transversely between the sills next the two outside sills supporting the car-iloor, using each half of said section as an uplifted trapdoor to form, in part, the sides of the hopper in the body of the car.

In the drawings, A represents the iloor, B B the sides, and C the end, of the car. A' A represent trap-doors or movable portions of the floor, each half being hinged, as shown.

When used for merchandise the sub-hopper is covered by the movable portipns, and the floor presents an even surface. When used for grain the movable parts are upturned at a proper angle for the discharge of grain, as represented in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, and rest on hinged brackets a a. To complete the side of the hopper and to cover the space between the edges of the floor-doors and the sides of the car I employ leaves b b, which are hinged upon the side of the car, their under edges being beveled. When let down they overlap the upturned floor-doors, thus completing the sides of the hopper and forming a close and compact joint, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6. The brackets a c are hinged upon the sides of the car, and when the car is used for merchandise are folded back, as shown in Fig. 3, while in Fig. 6 they are represented as supporting the sides of the hopper.

D is a double rectangular leaf folding on itself, there being one at each end of the car, and hinged to the end of the car, C, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6. It is secured in avertical position when the car is use d for merchandise, but when the car is used for grain is let down, as shown, forming the end of the hopper in the body of the car. It is hinged at such a height above the floor as ,will give a suitable incline for the iiowing of grain, while suicient room is left beneath the roof of the car for the fastening of the folds in a vertical position when the car is used for merchandise. These double folds D, when down, cover the space between the transom-bars and the ends of the car.

Hinged to the-lower fold, at each end of the car, are two triangular wings, E E, with beveled edges, which are held in vertical position with suitable fastenings when the car is used for merchandise, but which are let down to make the hopper in the body of the car complete.

The sides of the rectangular fold D, when down, rest upon' permanent supports d d, securely fastened at the proper inclination upon the sides of the car, while at the middle support is furnished by the double-hin ged bracket J, which shuts up upon itself against the end of the car when the car is used for the transportation of merchandise.

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The under edge of the double fold D is beveled, by which a compact and even joint is made between the fold and the end of the car.

The sub-hopper H occupies the space between the transom-bars and the sills next the two outside sills of the car. It is in the form of the frustum of a pyramid inverted.

The grain has free passage between thc central sills into the sub-hopper, but is stopped by the valves V V, which are held in place, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6, by the catches e c.

rIhe valves and catches extend the ent-ire length of the sub-hopper, the catches being hinged each by its upper edge, and holding the valves in place by their own weight; nor

can the valves be opened, except as hereinaf- Y ter described.

rIlhe valves V V are hinged on their lower sides to the sides of the sub-hopper, which are offset, as shown, suiiiciently to present an even surface to the flowing of grain, when the catches are lifted and the valves fall into the offsets.

In order to alleviate any strain from the jolting of the car and to avoid a pressure of nearly two hundred pounds to the square foot, which the valves would sustain under the load usually carried if not guarded against, l employ the double shed S, which is suspended from the sills by iron rods, as shown.

By this device I remove, in a great measure, the pressure and strain to which the valves would otherwise be subjected.

In orderlto further guard against any possible loss of grain through any accidental openings of the sub-hopper, I employ the triangular valve M, its Lipper surface inclined and its lower face closing` the rectangular orifice through which the grain is discharged. This cover has its edges and ends beveled to make a compact joint with the inclines of the subhopper. It is guided in its vertical movements by the iron rods, as shown in Figs. l, 3, and 6, and kept firmly xed in place by the spiral springs encircling the rods, as shown, thus effectually closing the orice and guarding against any movement that might otherwise arise from jolting or shocks given to the car by the application of the brakes.

To discharge the grain from the car, I employ the rod R, which extends across the car at its center beneath the sills, and the cord or chain c, which is fastened by its upper end to the rod, while its lower end is attached to the valve M at its center, but the rod is not an essential feature of my invention, for the end may be attained by the cord alone or by other devices.

The rod R is to be operated by a crank or lever, (not showin) which is to be locked while the grain is in transit.

To discharge the grain from the car, the rod R being turned, the valve M, compressing the coiled springs, will be raised, and in turn will lift the catches c e, thus loosening the valves V V, which drop by their own weight and the weight of the grain upon them, thus permitting the iiowing of the grain to the pit of an elevator, or through a spout to the hold of a vessel.

When the grain is discharged the valves are lifted to their former position by turning a second rod, R, also having its bearings in the sills of the car, and the tirst rod, R, is at the same time turned or left free to turn in the direction opposite to its previous direction, permitting thevalve M to close upon the orifce and the catches e e to close upon the valves V V. It will be found convenientto have two of these rods R', one on either side of the rod R. The several leaves in the body of the car and the brackets are then folded against the sides and ends of the car, and the trapdoors are thrown down, thus making the car ready for the transportation of merchandise.

To avoid any sweeping, I employ the triangular pieces m m, which are hinged upon the central sills, and which are turned over upon the upper surface of the sills when the car is used for grain, but which hang by their hinges beneath the floor when the car Ais used for merchandise.

I have described the trap doors and the hopper as being located between certain sills. This is owing to the present usual construction of freight-cars, and in order that the ordinary freight-car may be made a convertible freight-car.

In building a new convertible freight-car embodying my invention the sills might be so located that the trap-doors, when turned up atl a proper incline, would rest against the sides of the car.

I am aware that it is not new to turn up hinged sections of the floor, that it is not new to use a sub-hopper 5 that it is not new to use short inclines in the ends ofthe car, or inclines at the end ofthe car hinged at the top, and that it is not new to make the body of the car into one or more hoppers.

The double leaves at the ends of the car form an important feature of my invention, for they can be hinged to the car much lower down than leaves made in one piece could be hinged, and thus much more carrying-space is obtained and the grain is more evenly distributed throughout the car, and it is obvious that such double leaves could be used with similar advantage in those forms of convertible grain-cars in which the trap-doors are turned up perpendicularly along the sides of the car.

l. The trap doors A A', double folding leaves D D, wings E E, and suitable supports for the same, in combination with an ordinary freight-car provided with a hopper beneath, substantially as described, for the purpose speciiied.

2. In combination 'with an ordinary freightcar, the double leaves D D, hinged to the ends of the car, substantially as described.

3. In combination lwith a grain-car, a hopper IIO beneath in the form of the frustum of a pyramid inverted, and a valve, triangular in crosssection and beveled upon its lower edges, provided With a suitable device for operating the same, substantially as described.

4. The hopper beneath the car, provided With a main valve, M, and mechanism for op erating the same, in combination with the double-roofed shed S, auxiliary valves V V, mechanism for lifting the same, and the catches e e, substantially as described.

5. In combination With the inclined sides of the hopper beneath the car, the shed S, to re- `to the ends of the car, substantially as described, for the purpose specied.

7. The triangular pieces m m, hinged to the middle sills, substantially as described, for zo the purpose specified.

CHARLES C. COFFIN.

Witnesses:

W. W. SWAN, H. G. OLMsTED. 

